iOS 4.3 review

iOS 4.3 is now in gold master and scheduled for release on March 11, 2011 alongside iPad 2 with new features like Wi-Fi personal hotspot for iPhone, iTunes home sharing, improved AirPlay, faster Safari and more.

If you want a quick look at the new software but don't have a lot of time, check out the video above for everything you need to know about iOS 4.3 in just 5 minutes. For a more in-depth iOS 4.3 guide, read on after the break.

Note: We're combining iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad walkthroughs below since, post iOS 4.2 grand-unification the size of the updates are roughly similar. If it gets more complicated later, we'll split iPhone/iPod touch out from iPad like last time.

What hasn't changed

iOS 4.3 looks to have interesting albeit far from numerous changes thus far. Since we're only covering what's new and improved, here's a list of previous walkthroughs for those new to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad so you can learn about all the established features. Major releases in bold.

System-wide changes

AirPlay

AirPlay was introduced in iOS 4.2 and allows video and audio to be sent from iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and iTunes on Windows or Mac to an Apple TV, or audio-only to a growing number of 3rd party speakers and other accessories. While iOS 4.2 only provided video-to-Apple TV support from the YouTube and iPod/Video apps, iOS 4.3 gives both App Store apps and web content the ability to send video to Apple TV. (Note: Apps like Hulu may well block this functionality due to Hollywood being catastrophically short sighted when it comes to the digital age.)

Video Mirroring (iPad 2 only)

With iPad 2 and either the old VGA adapter or new HDMI adapter, you'll be able to mirror your device display on an external monitor.

Video mirroring, as the name suggests, means everything and anything you see on iPad 2, from Home Screen to apps, will be shown exactly the same on your external monitor or HD TV. (Hulu and similar apps might have a way to block this, we'll have to test it and see.)

Previous devices like iPad and iPhone 4 will only be able to output video the way they currently do, if the particular app enables it. (like iPod, Video, Keynote, YouTube, Safari, Photos, and App Store apps that support it.)

Home Screen

SpringBoard, the app that runs the home screen and overall interface in iOS, gets its multitasking dock UI tweaked once again on iPad.

Multitouch navigation gestures (iPad only, developers only)

Apple has introduced 4 or 5 finger multitouch navigation gestures in the iOS 4.3 for iPad but only for developers to test. They won't be available to regular users. To get them to appear in Settings, you need to connect your iPad to Xcode and enable the device for development. (See our how to enable iPad multitasking gestures in iOS 4.3 article for more.)

The new gestures don't replace the Home Button but do reduce the amount of times you need to single or double click it, which could reduce concerns of hardware wear and tear post iOS 4 multitasking.

The new gestures can be done with 4 or 5 fingers and resemble multitouch trackpad gestures available on Mac OS X since the introduction of the original MacBook Air in 2008 and expanded upon in the recent Mac OS X 10.7 Lion preview given by Steve Jobs at the Back to the Mac event. The gestures currently include

Pinch all fingers in to exit an app and return to the Home Screen (identical to single-clicking the Home Button).

Swipe up from the bottom bezel to reveal the multitasking Fast App Switcher Dock (identical to double-clicking the Home Button).

Swipe sideways from left to right or right to left to move between recently open apps (similar to double-clicking the Home Button to reveal the Fast App Switcher and tapping on an app icon immediately to right).

The sideways swipe is interesting in that it allows you to go left or right whereas the Fast App Switcher reorders the recent app icons so you always go backwards in "time" to the right. It seems perceptively faster for a single app-back movement since there's no carousel animation, yet you can only swipe back one app at a time whereas you can tap on any of 4 immediately available app icons in the Fast App Switcher and swipe back 4 additional apps at a time.

Performance on the current generation iPad, however, is hampered by lack of RAM. With only 256MB many apps will need to reload when you swipe back to them (at least so far in the beta). If iPad 2 has at least 512MB -- or better yet 1GB -- it would fly with this system.

Mute widget (iPad only)

When iPad shipped with iOS 3.2 the hardware switch above the volume rocker was set to lock or unlock screen orientation. In iOS 4.2 it was changed to a mute/un-mute switch like iPhone. Uncharacteristically, Apple has now added a Settings toggle to let the user choose which function they want the switch to perform. Since iOS 4.2 added a software orientation lock widget in the multitasking Fast App Switcher dock, iOS 4.3 now also toggles between that widget and a software mute button to fill whichever function is no longer being provided by the hardware switch. (Hardware switch set to orientation lock means dock widget becomes mute button and vice-versa.)

Photos

As mentioned above, you now have the ability to send recorded videos out over AirPlay to Apple TV, something which was noticeably missing when the feature was introduced in iOS 4.2.

Notes

iOS 4.2 finally let us change the Notes font from Marker Felt to something -- anything -- else, as long as that anything else was Helvetica or Chalkboard. Well it turns out Chalkboard wasn't long for this world as it has been replaced in iOS 4.3 with Noteworthy.

App Store

The App Store gets a new design for the Updates page.

Install buttons

Although it's not an iOS 4.3 specific feature, App Store has also been updated recently on the server side with a few new features. On all devices, if you've already bought or downloaded an app but it's not currently loaded on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, instead of the Free or price button, you get an Install button. (This doesn't seem true in all regional App Store yet, but is working in the US App Store.)

Search filters

Also not iOS 4.3 specific but since the timing fits, on the iPad there are also new filters in place on the search page, including Category, Release Date, Customer Rating, Price, and Device, as well as a Reset Filters option. Since App Store, like iTunes is really just an app-wrapped, internet powered, WebKit UI Apple can make all sorts of changes without having to wait for a new iOS version to ship. Usually these are just content features, banners, etc. (or the addition of Ping...) but it's nice to see new functionality sneak in every once and a while.

Also, if you leave a search to go to Featured or Top Charts, etc. and then tap the search field at the top right, you're whisked right back the previous search results, sans keyboard.

In-app purchases

In-app purchases now always require a password. Previously iOS would remember a password for a short amount of time after it was last entered. This led to children purchasing huge quantities of Smurfberries and other "freemium" content, which in turn led to the new password challenge system. (Of course this does nothing to protect parents wh

iAds

For developers, iAds can now go full screen. That includes the big iPad screen, which Apple says allow for "immersive, interactive iAd experience". They also say the new banner format is easy to implement.

HTTP Live Streaming metrics

HTTP Live Streaming, the technology Apple uses to stream high quality video including their own press conferences and events, now includes viewer engagement and performance metrics. This is intended to help developers fine tune and optimize their content.

iTunes

iOS 4.3 brings a new set of push notifications to the table -- for Apple's Ping social musical network. So if you've been dying to know what Phil Schiller -- or Chad -- has bought, liked, or commented on in iTunes as instantaneously as possible you'll get your wish.

FaceTime (iPad 2)

iPhone 4 got FaceTime with iOS 4 and iPod touch 4 with iOS 4.1, and now it's iPad 2's turn with iOS 4.3. Just like iPod touch 4, there's a dedicated -- and newly redesigned -- FaceTime icon so you can easily launch it (iPhone still launches from the Phone app). Since, also like iPod touch 4, there's no phone number associated with an iPad 2, it uses Apple/iTunes IDs to map the connections.

Enter your credentials and you'll be able to FaceTime with anyone on iPhone 4, iPod touch 4, iPad 2, or Mac.

[We'll update this when iPad 2 ships and we have a chance to test it.]

Photo Booth (iPad 2 only)

Photo Booth, like the Mac app of the same name, is a fun time-killer where you can apply effects to the live camera view and save the pictures for use in profiles or just to share with friends and family. Thanks to the new cameras in iPad 2 and the powerful A5 processor you can see 9 live video streams, with effects applied, in real time. Since iOS is multitouch enabled, you can also use gestures to manipulate the effects in real time.

[We'll update this when iPad 2 ships and we have a chance to test it.]

Settings

Not only does Settings hide the usually interesting tweaks found in any new iOS version but this time it's home to one of the marquee new features -- Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot.

Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot (iPhone 4 only)

Freshly sandwiched in between VPN and Notifications for iPhone users is the new top-level Personal Hotspot setting. (It also find it in Settings: General: Network: Personal Hotspot, where it replaces the previous Tethering setting, but why dig that deep when you no longer have to?)

When you tap Personal Hotspot you're taken to a screen that lets you toggle it on or off (why can't we do this top-level like Airplane Mode or VPN?) along with your -- visible -- current WPA access point password (with no choice to hide it). Instructions on how "to connect using Wi-Fi" have been added to the previous tethering instructions for Bluetooth and USB. As before with Bluetooth, if you don't have Wi-Fi enabled you'll get a popup asking if you'd like to enable it or if you'd prefer to tether via Bluetooth (if that's enabled) or USB.

You can change your WPA password by tapping on it, and you're warned the new password must be at least 8 characters long (we recommend something not easily guessed like "password") and that changing the password will disconnect any currently connected devices.

When activated you get the same blue bar across the top of your iPhone that tethering presented under iOS 3 and iOS 4, though renamed Personal Hotspot and now indicating the number of devices connected (up to a maximum of 5 on Verizon, 3 on most GSM carriers like AT&T).

For iPhone 3GS users personal hotspot is there and in the same top-level position, but is limited to the old-style Bluetooth and USB.

Location Services

Location Services has also been promoted to top level in iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. (see iPhone screenshot above, iPad screen shot below)

Sounds

Mercifully, the new Text Tones for iPhone 4 introduced in iOS 4.2 have been made shorter as better fits Text Tones. Tragically, they haven't been made any better. It's bewildering.

Vibration has also changed for text/SMS alerts. Now you get two short vibrations for an SMS on both iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.

General: Restrictions

If you don't want your children discovering new, electronic hipster songs on Apple's social music network, Ping, iOS 4.3 lets you disable it via the Parental Controls.

General: Use Side Switch to (iPad only)

The iPad's hardware switch, originally released as an orientation lock/unlock in iOS 3.2 and changed to an iPhone-like mute/un-mute switch in iOS 4.2 now becomes user assignable in iOS 4.3. Yes, with a simple checkbox you can choose which way you personally like it.

As mentioned up top, whichever option you do not choose becomes a software control in the multitasking Fast App Switcher dock.

General: Multitasking Gestures (iPad developers only)

A simple toggle allows you to turn on or off the new multitasking navigation gestures (see the description under system-wide changes, above). These are intended for developers only, not end-users so you need to connect to Xcode to enable them. (See our how to enable iPad multitasking gestures in iOS 4.3 article for more.)

Messages (iPhone only)

The settings for Messages now allow you to choose how many times you want SMS/MMS alerts to sound, repeated at two minute intervals. Choices include:

Once

Twice

3 Times

5 Times

10 Times.

iPod

New to iPod Settings, you can scroll down and enter your iTunes username and password to enable Home Sharing (if you enter the wrong information, you'll get a popup telling you it can't be enabled).

Notes

As mentioned previously, Noteworthy replaces Chalkboard in the Notes settings.

Phone + Contacts

A minor but likely very welcome change in iOS 4.3 beta sees the addition of a wait button to the add contact phone number's extended keyboard and the rejiggering of some of the other buttons like pause.

iPod

iPod gains Home Sharing under iOS 4.3, the ability to stream media from your Mac or Windows PC the same way Apple TV (2010) has been doing since last fall.

Home Sharing

Once you enable Home Sharing in Settings (see above) you can tap on More on the bottom tabs, select the new Shared icon at the bottom, and tap on the computer name you want to access under Shared Libraries

You'll be taken "back" to the iPod app media list but you'll now be seeing your PC's library instead of your local device library (it can be a little confusing at first but the PC library name is written on top of the scroll list). Choose your music, TV, movies, or other media just as you would have previously, but it'll now stream from your PC over Wi-Fi.

To change back to your local device library, tap on More, tap on Sharing, and select your local device from the top of the list (you'll see a checkmark next to whichever library is currently the active one).

So it's a little complex and it can be confusing, but it works and for media you only want access to occasionally, it can save you a lot of occasional syncing

Ping

Apple says you can also post and like songs on Ping directly from the Now Playing screen but I haven't seen the controls for it yet.

Apple TV

Apple TV is also getting the iOS 4.3 treatment. Major new features include:

AirPlay for App Store apps and compatible web video

Dolby Digital 5.1 for Netflix

New slideshow themes

An improved keyboard

MLB HD streaming for MLB.com subscribers

NBA HD streaming for NBA league pass subscribers

MLB and NBA are built-in, just like Netflix.

Pricing and compatibility

iOS 4.3 is available free of charge to all compatible iOS devices. Compatibility, however, is so far even more restricted that iOS 4 -- namely iPhone 3G/iPod touch G2 do not have beta versions of iOS 4.3 to date.

Conclusion

iOS 4.3 gives AirPlay some much-needed improvements, adds Home Sharing, begins to fix the horrible text-tones for iPhone, and provides the fantastic personal hotspot feature for iPhone 4. It's not a huge update but it's a good one.

If you were expecting more major updates, like notification SIRI-infused, OS-wide VoiceControl system, etc. etc. then you'll need to wait for a more major update like iOS 5. (Which should be previewed this month or next.) For now you have a few more toys to play with in your iOS chest.

As always, If you noticed we missed anything, drop us a note in the comments or send us an email and we’ll update as needed.

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TEHRAN — Related to two months back, when ever a lot of Iranian groups were stocking on almond not to mention the meat selections to prepare with regard to web inevitable navy struggle when using the Rest of the world more than Iran’s nuclear process, Ali Mesgaran, 35, thought we would wide open a new plastic look.
Iran’s indigenous currency exchange, a rial, acquired just wasted virtually 50 % of the country's cost in the course of cutting edge overseas sanctions, and also finance institutions and additionally exchange office spaces were being spilling finished by means of assignments just for old watches together with forex trading by folks with the hope to defend family personal savings by jumping inflation.
“There can be continually situations during this usa, ” Mr. Mesgaran talked about, explaining why the person made a decision to clear his go shopping, Piyaz Jafari, named looking for classic Iranian sandwich distributed from onions and herbal treatments. “We felt that when people ever before desired to be a success, most of us simply was mandated to forget people. ”
At this point, after incredibly constructive discussions carry on thirty days between Iran in addition to entire world properties in the country’s nuclear course, uncertainties about war have offered method to watchful positive outlook in between Iranian officials not to mention experts. Iran’s currency exchange has developed an important low rescue, not to mention Mr. Mesgaran features chosen extra assist in perform his particular users.
Virtually any way to a approximately 10-year-old roller coaster regarding tells you plus provocations finished Iran’s nuclear desires, that your West suspects will be marine around makeup however Tehran contends are actually calm, might be welcomed in this article. But expertise has got taught families just like Mr. Mesgaran never to buy their expectations upward. In its place, they and there are more for his particular generation get resigned them selves for you to making the best of the poor state of affairs.
“I expectation some of those talks will certainly lead to a product, ” the person talked about mainly because area dressed in Ray-Ban eyeglasses and additionally young girls taking Louis Vuitton purses prepared meant for his typical sandwiches. “But I ACTUALLY don’t include all impact on discussions. Every I'm able to consider is almost always to construct my personal lifetime. ”
Very little Iranians have tried ones own world molded as a result sufficiently with the stresses on the country’s nuclear energy than individuals born inside ages following your 1979 movement.
Iran’s huge group of postrevolution youth — 70 p'cent for the country’s number with 74 thousand will be below 35 — telephone calls once more a “burned generating, ” simply because they believe they lost on that purely natural progression regarding existence. When their particular father and mother was able to acquire opportunities, wed and get buildings, that generation’s ambitions have been completely encased for by politics options with Iran’s commanders and therefore the imported stress this implemented.
Important things are mainly tough seeing that 2005, the moment Director Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited electric power in addition to Iran’s nuclear posture hardened, carrying worldwide sanctions in addition to seclusion being good sized portion of Iranians had been establishing their own mature lifestyles.
Rather then your own growing, nation-wide politics has grown to become essential at their lifestyles. “Every theme everyone and our colleagues go over, even if it’s the most up-to-date show, a trip and some of our near future, results using state policies, ” said Samaneh, 27, just who life together with their moms and dads along with wouldn't choose him / her family group brand made use of away from nervous about retribution. “Here some of our existence are usually considered by just those inside potential. Some of our choices are generally increasingly more restricted. ”
This girl stressed that complications her age bracket met gone properly outside of a nuclear subject. Iran is grappling utilizing corruption and inflation, and additionally young ones being out of work is passed 20 per cent, consistent with recognized shapes, although advisors mention it's always quite possibly better. Divorce case, drug abuse together with inequality have risen significantly in the last times.
“I extremely don’t find any of these concerns becoming managed, ” Samaneh believed, “but as a minimum less dangerous demand, such as an stop in order to sanctions, would probably easiness some of our debt load a lttle bit. ”
All the common sense of hopelessness is definitely tough just by reminiscences within the presidency involving Mohammad Khatami, Mr. Ahmadinejad’s forerunner, who was simply during strength as a result of 1997 towards 2005. All through this a pair of words and phrases, he / she tried out to develop personalized overall flexibility, to help you encourage improved interaction while using the West and then chill out suffocating attire writes, sketching angriness by conservatives though gaining lots of ballots as a result of youths and additionally most women.
This final choice to help you hang Iran’s nuclear enrichment course for two ages grew to be a large condemnation concerning Iran’s politics elite, in reference to his players — most notable Mr. Ahmadinejad — accusing your ex boyfriend with trading apart into the West.
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Upgraded software on iPhone 3GS to v4.3.5 (8l1) now Internet tethering doesn't from PC laptop. Still connects ok to iMac. Real pain as iPhone is only net connection using 'wireless dialup'.
Update at your peril.
Yes it has changed name to Personal Hotspot and it is on but no connection results. Can see iPhone via explorer and pix around so USB plugs work.

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Once again Apple has failed to allow multi-page tiff files to be read. This is a big deal for business users. SBS will only email faxes received in this format to the iPhone owner. The iPhone will only read the first page of the tiff file.

I spent a bunch of time after I'd installed 4.3 on my WiFi iPad and iPod touch trying to find out how to activate Home Sharing to stream videos from my Mac's iTunes library. I couldn't for the life of me find how and where you set it up (I looked in preferences, the Video app and iTunes app) then I saw this article and discovered that it was in the last place I'd have thought to look - the iPod/Music app's settings!
Seriously Apple, could you have hidden it any better if you'd tried? I couldn't find any docs on it in the Apple Help system either, they don't seem to have been updated for 4.3 yet. Intuitive it's not.
But the best part of 4.3 so far is being able to connect to my Nokia phone via Bluetooth and get online when I'm away from WiFi hotspots. It's not real fast but at least it works. Hooray!

sooo c'on its a mac event if u want to use ur windows pc to watch a mac event then ur tterpy sad, even if yeah its about the ipods and itv they might say something new on imac. but its tterpy cool its like the only thing I've seen that i can just watch thru my iphone.

Anyone know what happens when you turn on the personal hotspot, but have not signed up for tethering? Is it possible to sign up for tethering via the phone?
I suspect the hotspot will be something I use spur of the moment, so it'd be nice if I could handle that right there, as I do with 3G service for the iPad.

If I have an iMac and an iPhone4 and eventually get an iPad2...do I need another iTunes account for the iPad2 to use facetime?
iPhone4: Phone number
iMac: iTunes Account #1
iPad2: iTunes Account #2???????

Whether it is Iphone technology or Android technology, 90% of the smart phone users are concerned with how fast can a web page load on the screen and the hundreds and thousands of apps now available, how many an user make use of these apps!All these smart phones screens are too small and it is very strainfull for the eyes to spend hours of surfing.The only smart phone now in the market with a fairly big screen is HTC evo, and it is a cool phone with many features and it is a real competetor for the IPhones.
I WISH SOME COMPANY COME OUT WITH A TRIPLE SCREEN WITH ATLEAST 5 TO 6 INCH SCREEN. THE FRONT SCREEN CAN BE FOR ALL ICONS,PHONE SCREEN OR FOR ANY USE AS WE USE NOW IN ANY SMART PHONE.WHEN IT OPENS UP (WHEN UNFOLDS) IT SHOULD BE USED AS A DUAL SCREEN LAPTOP WITH PC CAPABILITIES.BASICALLY I VISUALIZE IT AS A SMART PC+PHONE DEVICE. IF SOME COMPANY COME OUT WITH A SUCH A DEVICE, IT WILL BRING THE COLD WAR IN THE SMART PHONE FIELD TO AN END.

Slide out, flip-out, and fold-out devices have been tried many times. They have more points of failure than single-screen devices and the increased usable area is offset by increased complexity. Imagine how big such a device would be in your pocket. Imagine trying to casually pull it out and use it with one hand.
It looks like you need a tablet that can make calls.

I've had the beta (and now the GM) on my device for the past 5 weeks or so, and my App Store update page is the same ol' thing its always been. Any suggestions? And yes I'm a developer so that shouldn't be an issue.

Joel, I think Apple is making a big mistake when no more updates available for the iPhone 3G, after it did not solve the problem of speed in this unit. In Brazil I paid around $ 1000 by a IPhone and I will stay out, I would like to be a little more respected by the company and I believe that many other consumers also feel disappointed.

I'm praying that they'll soon implement the Home double-click to pull up more real-world features, such as Toggling/Selecting Wi-Fi, toggling Bluetooth, Send All Calls to Voicemail or Do Not Disturb, and Airplane Mode.

For me, there's only one feature that even matters for this release - the wi-fi hotspot. I have owned all four iPhones and the only time I've ever jailbroken a phone was for the singular purpose of using it to tether my laptop. This is something I've been waiting on for years, and as I sit and wait for the new version to install, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it won't somehow cost me more money to use it.
Since the very beginning, my wish list has been (in order):
1) Video (iPhone 3GS)
2) GPS (iPhone 3G)
3) Tethering (iOS 4.3)
4) Front-facing camera (iPhone 4)
iOS 4.3 with Wi-Fi hotspot has made my wish list complete. Finally. Thank you, Apple.
The only challenge for Apple now is in making the value proposition for the iPhone 5 so great that I have to buy it. Thinner, lighter, faster, longer battery, better cameras, or even 4G speeds won't do it for me - it's going to have to be something I can't live without. I suppose a solar-panel back for no-grid charging would be one thing that might make me reach for the wallet, but even then I don't know. That being said, leave it to Steve to come up with something I didn't even know I needed :-)

UPDATE: Sadly, it turns out that somehow data used by another device through my phone costs more than data used directly by my phone.
In other words, hotspot is NOT free - it's $20 from AT&T. Bastards.
At least it's there, but I suspect if they keep this up I'll become a habitual jailbreaker. There is no need for me to pay more to access bandwidth I've already paid for.

Overall great review Rene with one exception. In your review you said expect to see iOS 5 previews in four months. Actually, judging by past events, the actual release of iOS 5 is four months with a preview coming later this month or first week of April.

As always, superb review, Rene. I'd have to agree with you, the lack of custom SMS tones at this point is astounding. I can only conclude that Apple is working on a substantial overhaul to the notification system (including many changes to SMS) for iOS 5 - hopefully those changes include custom SMS tones.